City of Albuquerque Participating in National League of Cities Reengagement Network to Connect Youth to Successful Pathways

ALBUQUERQUE – The City of Albuquerque has been selected as one of six cities to join the National League of Cities Reengagement Network, a nationwide initiative focused on reconnecting Opportunity Youth, disconnected youth and young adults ages 16-24, to educational opportunities and employment.

The City of Albuquerque will collaborate with the National League of Cities to engage in monthly peer-to-peer virtual learning opportunities and receive tailored technical assistance from the National League of City's staff and national content experts to help advance the City's efforts in reengaging Opportunity Youth. The City will kick-off the initiative this year with a community convening that will bring together experts from government, education, workforce, and the juvenile justice systems to create a shared vision and plan of action for the upcoming year.

Rachel Snyder, a Harvard Bloomberg City Hall Fellow working with the City of Albuquerque's Economic Development Office, expressed optimism about the program's potential impact. She noted, "We look forward to leveraging this partnership to create positive and lasting change, fostering a brighter future for our community’s youth, and supporting Albuquerque families.”

By participating in this initiative, the City seeks to continue its commitment to keeping young people in Albuquerque safe and engaged.

“Reengaging youth in our city by connecting them with educational paths and support systems can ultimately lead them to good-paying jobs. This will not only benefit those individuals but will help businesses of all sizes with their workforce needs,” said Director of Economic Development Max Gruner.

The City’s participation in the reengagement program will involve collaboration with key local partners across education, non-profit, and business sectors. Together, these stakeholders will benefit from technical resources to understand the current climate of youth disengagement, and solicit feedback from impacted communities. The end goal is to develop community-wide approaches to reengage Opportunity Youth in education, employment, and beyond.

The current initiative is scheduled to run until September 2024 and is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.